My parents came [to the U.S.] from Iran as students, before the Iranian revolution, really intending to return. They had me and then, in the final year of my dad’s Ph.D. program, the Iranian revolution happened. Out of great concern for me and what my life would have looked like if they returned, they decided to stay. That meant living a life that was completely not what they anticipated—separated from family, separated from friends—in a new community and a new culture. It has really made me reflect on how different my life would have been as a function of my geography.

I’ve always looked for opportunities to remove the barriers for people and help them achieve their potential—whether those barriers are defined by race, religion, gender, or geography. Professionally, I’ve always prioritized working in arenas where I could help remove some of those barriers.

We were so inspired by the commitment of our partners, Goldman Sachs and ServiceNow. There were teams working around the clock to develop this platform, to make it safe, to protect the privacy and humanity of the beneficiaries, and to build in the translation functionality that has proven so critical because it's allowed beneficiaries and their sponsors to develop a relationship even before they meet each other in the United States.

Some of our sponsors and beneficiaries talk about when they were finally able to meet in the airport. It was like you were greeting a long-lost friend . Just think about how much that gives back to refugees, in an environment of total uncertainty, to be able to converse with your sponsor and feel confident about the circumstances that you're coming to. It really underscores the sensitivity and care and expertise that the teams brought to this project.